System and method for developing new services from legacy computer applications

Abstract

A method of generating a service from at least one existing (legacy) computer software application executable on a MICROSOFT WINDOWS® operating system includes navigating the application(s), intercepting messages between the application(s) and a MICROSOFT WINDOWS® operating system at a WINDOWS messaging layer to automatically capture a plurality of controls and data and to automatically record a script for the application(s), and generating a service for executing the script. The service may be invoked by a Web client or application to exploit the functionality of the legacy application(s).

1 . A method of generating a service from at least one existing computer software application executable on a MICROSOFT WINDOWS® operating system, comprising: 
 navigating an application;    intercepting messages between the application and a MICROSOFT WINDOWS® operating system at a WINDOWS messaging layer to automatically capture a plurality of controls and data from the application;    generating a script for the application; and    generating a service for executing the script with respect to the application.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the script is automatically generated.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising manually adding logic to the automatically generated script before generating the service.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further including storing graphical user interface (GUI) objects of the application in a GUI repository.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , where navigating the application includes activating at least one graphical user interface (GUI) object on a display screen of the application.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising automatically generating a user interface for a test client to validate the generated service.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the service is a Web service that can be executed by a Web server.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising navigating a second application to automatically capture a plurality of controls and data from the second application, wherein the service also executes the generated script against the second application.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further including defining at least one input/output parameter of the application.  
     
     
         10 . A system for generating a service from at least one existing computer software application executable on a MICROSOFT WINDOWS® operating system, comprising: 
 script generation means for navigating an application, intercepting messages between the application and a MICROSOFT WINDOWS® operating system at a WINDOWS messaging layer, automatically capturing a plurality of controls and data from the application, and generating a script for the application; and    service generation means for automatically generating a service for executing the script.    
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the script generation means is adapted to automatically generate the script in response to navigating the application.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising means for manually adding logic to the automatically generated script.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10  further including a GUI repository for storing graphical user interface (GUI) objects of the application.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a test client to validate the generated service.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the service generation means is adapted to generate a Web service that can be executed by a Web server.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising means for defining at least one input/output parameter for the application.  
     
     
         17 . A method of executing functionality of at least one existing computer software application, executable on a MICROSOFT WINDOWS® operating system, via a service; comprising: 
 navigating the application;    intercepting messages between the application and a MICROSOFT WINDOWS® operating system at a WINDOWS messaging layer to automatically capture a plurality of controls and data from the application, and to generate a script for the application;    generating a service for executing the script; and    invoking the service on a client device to execute the script with respect to the application.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 starting a session to access the application;    playing back the script; and    returning results from the application to the client device.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein playing back the script includes interacting with graphical user interface (GUI) objects of the application according to their logical position in a GUI hierarchy for the application.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , where the service is a Web service.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising navigating a second application to automatically capture a plurality of controls and data from the second application, wherein the service also executes the generated script against the second application.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising automatically generating a user interface for a test client to validate the generated service.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the script is automatically generated.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising manually adding logic to the automatically generated script before generating the service.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17 , further including storing graphical user interface (GUI) objects of the application in a GUI repository.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein intercepting messages between the application and the operating system includes intercepting GDI calls.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 17 , where navigating the application includes activating at least one graphical user interface (GUI) object on a display screen of the application.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising intercepting a message between the application and the WINDOWS® operating system when the GUI object activated.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 17 , further including defining at least one input/output parameter of the application  
     
     
         30 . A system for executing functionality of at least one existing computer software application, executable on a MICROSOFT WINDOWS® operating system, via a service; comprising: 
 script generation means for navigating an application and intercepting messages between the application and a MICROSOFT WINDOWS® operating system at a WINDOWS messaging layer to automatically capture a plurality of controls and data and to generate a script for the application;    service generation means for automatically generating a service for executing the script;    a client device adapted to invoke the service; and    means for playing back the script.    
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the service generation means is adapted to generate a Web service that can be executed by a Web server.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30 , further comprising means for automatically generating a user interface for a test client to validate the generated service.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the script generation means automatically generates the script in response to navigating the application.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , further comprising means for manually adding logic to the automatically generated script before generating the service.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 30 , further including a GUI repository for storing graphical user interface (GUI) objects of the application.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein intercepting messages between the application and the WINDOWS® operating system includes intercepting GDI calls.